Joseph Leo Anthony Madden's picture located on the wall of remembrance at St Paul's Highschool in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Pilot with the No. 410 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Next of Kin (and relationship): Father (Joseph Madden)
Date of enlistment: July 31, 1941
City and province of enlistment: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Essay
World War II was seen as one of the most horrific wars ever. Many men served at a young age to fight for their country. One of these men was Joseph Leo Anthony Madden. Joseph Leo Anthony Madden lived in the west end of Winnipeg on 367 Victor Street. He grew up as with his parents, Joseph and Ivy Dance, his nine brothers and his three sisters. Even though he lived in such a packed house, Joseph still managed to be a neat and sincere Roman Catholic. Joseph played hockey and rugby even though he was 5’4 and only weighing 142 pounds ("RCAF: Attestation Paper"). He had a good educational background aside from his athletics. He attended St. Edwards School for his pre-high school years, and later he attended St. Paul’s College for all four high school years. This was unusual as most students left St. Paul’s in grade eleven in order to join the military. In St. Paul’s, he was an average student that enjoyed studying different languages including Latin, French, and German. Joseph graduated from St. Paul’s and kept in St. Paul’s college and received his Bachelor of Arts after two years of his graduation from high-school. On July 31, 1941 Joseph Leo Anthony Madden enlisted in Winnipeg to the Air Force ("School Record"). The Air Force was seen as a being prestigious and for higher class men and this drew Joseph in. He was seen as the short, stocky type that would be a suitable pilot if he had some training. Joseph Madden served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) for almost three years before a flying accident took his life ("Province of Manitoba").
After Joseph’s enlistment into the Air Force, he underwent brief training before being assigned to the No. 410 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. He achieved the rank of Warrant Officer and was a pilot in the 410 squadron ("RCAF: Attestation Paper"). This squadron was known as the ‘Cougar’ squadron because of its speed and power in taking down enemy planes. The No. 410 Squadron mainly did night time operations and that is why the 410 Squadron’s badge and motto involve the cougar and crescent moon. The cougar represents their ferocity in taking down prey and the moon represents the night time operations. Their motto, Noctivaga, was suitable because it meant ‘Wandering by Night’ ("No. 410 Squadron"). This squadron was present in defending Britain from 1941-1944 and this squadron also played its part on D-Day at Normandy. Joseph Madden did not make it to D-Day but he definitely played his role in defending Britain ("History of"). During his Air Force time, Joseph Madden flew a Mosquito XIII which was seen as a rather weak plane defensively, but it was tremendously fast. Most pilots utilized its speed to their advantage to get out of dangerous areas quickly (Cleaver).
In Winnipeg during the time of WWII, there were many events happening. One event in particular that seemed to be the buzz of the town was the Drama Festival that was coming to Winnipeg. This festival seemed to be on the front page of the Manitoban for weeks. It seemed to be like a great deal of time and effort was being put into the event and the event would affect a lot of people ("Drama Festival Opens Wednesday"). But, there were also other events happened that affected a worldly population. Many people, in North America in particular, seemed to be frightened by many countries clearing out their docks in 1944. It seemed that a grand navy assault was to be taken place and all countries were getting their boats ready. Most wanted the war to be over and this clearance of docks was not something pleasant to see (Nichols).
Joseph Madden served roughly two years and seven months before dying in a flying accident. On February 11, 1944, after refueling and returning to patrolling duty, Joseph Madden’s aircraft took a dive into shallow water and Joseph was killed. The cause for this dive was unknown but it is said to be a possible aircraft malfunction. Joseph Madden died at the young age of twenty four ("Province of Manitoba"). Joseph was a respectable man who died too young. He was a terrific pilot and this showed through the medals and awards he was honoured with. Over his piloting career, Joseph received two Canadian Volunteer Service Medals, one General Service Medal, a Defence Medal, an A/C Eur Star, and a 39-35 Star ("Service Award Card"). This honourable pilot is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, about 30 miles from London, England. He is listed on page 376 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance ("In Memory of").
Military Service Record
Age (at death): 24
Force: Royal Canadian Air Force
Unit: No. 410 Royal Canadian Air Force Squadron
Service Number: R119979
Honours and Awards: 39-45 Star, A/C Eur Star (Air Crew Europe Star), Defence Medal, General Service Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (x2)
Photograph: See above
Next of Kin (and relationship): Joseph Madden (Father)
Date of Death: February 11, 1944
Country of Burial: United Kingdom
Cemetery:Brookwood Military Cemetery
Grave Reference: 48.H.3
Location: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, United Kingdom
Book of Remembrance: Page 376 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance
39-45 Star. (click picture for link). Picture provided by: The Royal Canadian Regiment Warehouse
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. (click picture to view link). Picture provided by: Veterans Affairs Canada
A/C Eur Star (Air Crew Europe Star). (click picture to view link). Picture provided by: Veterans Affairs Canada
A Mosquito XIII. Joseph Leo Anthony Madden piloted one in his time with the Air Force. (click on the picture to view link) Picture Provided by: Tom Cleaver from modeling madness
No. 410 Squadron's Badge. The cougar represents speed and power as a predator. The crescent moon represents the squadron's night operations. (click on picture to view link). Picture provided by: Canadian Wings
Joseph Madden's name on page 376 on the Book of Remembrance. (click on picture for link). Picture provided by: Veteran Affairs Canada
Grave Reference
Name of Cemetery: Brookwood Military Cemetery
Grave Reference: 48.H.3
Location: The Brookwood Military Cemetery is about thirty miles from London, England. The cemetery is owned by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the entire United Kingdom.
Layout of the Brookwood Military Cemetery. (click picture for link). Picture provided by: Veterans Affair Canada
Joseph Madden's grave marker. (click picture for link). Picture provided by: Veterans Affairs Canada and The Commonwealth Roll Of Honour Project
Works Cited
Cleaver, Tom. "Tamiya 1/48 Mosquito NF.XIII." Modeling Madness. N.p., n.d. Web.
29 Apr. 2012. <http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/allies/gb/
cleaverm13.htm>. This link was very informative and not only provided
info, but pictures as well. This link helped me to understand what kind of
plane my soldier was flying. This source gave me a good history on the
plane my soldier was flying and I found this site to make me not have to
look at many other sources.
"Drama Festival Opens Wednesday." The Manitoban 18 Feb. 1944: n. pag. Manitobia . Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://manitobia.ca/content/en/
newspapers/Manitoban/1944/02/
1944-02-18.pdf#search=%22february%2011,%201944%22>. I was provided with
a valuable news story from this link. I found an important event happening
in Winnipeg from this source and it helped me create my paper. I found this
link to be easy to use and quite helpful.
"History of 410 Squadron." Manitoba Military Aviation Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 29
Apr. 2012. <http://www.manitobamilitaryaviationmuseum.com/PDF/410squadron.pdf>. I was provided with a ton of in-depth information
about my squadron from this source. Not only did I find information about
training, I also found out who were commanding officers, lists of
causalities, and reasoning behind the squadron insignia. I would consider
this to be one of the most important sites to my research and I would
recommend it to others.
"In Memory of." Veterans Affairs Canada. Veterans Affairs Canada,
10 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/> collections/virtualmem/detail/2667683>. This website provided me with
information about Joseph Madden's date of death, his grave stone, and the
cemetery in which he is buried. This site also provided me with pictures of
Joseph Leo Anthony Madden's grave stone and a picture of page 376 in the
Second World War Book of Remembrance. On this page is Joseph Madden's name.
Nichols, Charles T. "1944 Sees Decks Cleared for Grand Assault." The Winnipeg Evening Tribune 1 Jan. 1944: 6. Manitobia . Web. 29 Apr. 2012.
<http://manitobia.ca/content/en/newspapers/WPT/1944/01/01/articles/81.xml/> iarchives?query=February%2BAND%2B1944%2BAND%2Byear%3A1944>. This article
provided me with news about a key event happening around the time of my
soldier's death. There was a scare about mass navy battles and information
was given about many battles. I found this article helpful and it helps for
my third paragraph.
"No. 410 Squadron." Canadian Wings. AEROWARE designs, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/> squadronDetail.php?No.-410-Squadron-69>. This link provided me with key
information about my soldier's squadron. I found it to be very helpful and
informative. It provided me with general information about the squadron,
what aircraft was used during certain time periods, and what battles Joseph
Madden’s squadron was involved in. A picture of the squadron's badge was
also found on this site.
Province of Manitoba: Official Registration of Death. Winnipeg: n.p., n.d. N.
pag. Print. A lot of basic knowledge was obtained from this paper,
including who Madden's parents were and his date of death.
RCAF: Attestation Paper. N.p. Print. The
general knowledge about Joseph Madden was obtained from this paper.
School Record of Joseph Leo Anthony Madden. Print. The
schools Joseph Madden attended to were obtained from this paper. Also, the
classes Joseph took in St. Paul's were obtained.
Service Award Card. Print. The medals and awards that
Joseph Madden won were obtained from this paper.
Table of Contents
Service Personnel Information
Essay
World War II was seen as one of the most horrific wars ever. Many men served at a young age to fight for their country. One of these men was Joseph Leo Anthony Madden. Joseph Leo Anthony Madden lived in the west end of Winnipeg on 367 Victor Street. He grew up as with his parents, Joseph and Ivy Dance, his nine brothers and his three sisters. Even though he lived in such a packed house, Joseph still managed to be a neat and sincere Roman Catholic. Joseph played hockey and rugby even though he was 5’4 and only weighing 142 pounds ("RCAF: Attestation Paper"). He had a good educational background aside from his athletics. He attended St. Edwards School for his pre-high school years, and later he attended St. Paul’s College for all four high school years. This was unusual as most students left St. Paul’s in grade eleven in order to join the military. In St. Paul’s, he was an average student that enjoyed studying different languages including Latin, French, and German. Joseph graduated from St. Paul’s and kept in St. Paul’s college and received his Bachelor of Arts after two years of his graduation from high-school. On July 31, 1941 Joseph Leo Anthony Madden enlisted in Winnipeg to the Air Force ("School Record"). The Air Force was seen as a being prestigious and for higher class men and this drew Joseph in. He was seen as the short, stocky type that would be a suitable pilot if he had some training. Joseph Madden served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) for almost three years before a flying accident took his life ("Province of Manitoba").
After Joseph’s enlistment into the Air Force, he underwent brief training before being assigned to the No. 410 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. He achieved the rank of Warrant Officer and was a pilot in the 410 squadron ("RCAF: Attestation Paper"). This squadron was known as the ‘Cougar’ squadron because of its speed and power in taking down enemy planes. The No. 410 Squadron mainly did night time operations and that is why the 410 Squadron’s badge and motto involve the cougar and crescent moon. The cougar represents their ferocity in taking down prey and the moon represents the night time operations. Their motto, Noctivaga, was suitable because it meant ‘Wandering by Night’ ("No. 410 Squadron"). This squadron was present in defending Britain from 1941-1944 and this squadron also played its part on D-Day at Normandy. Joseph Madden did not make it to D-Day but he definitely played his role in defending Britain ("History of"). During his Air Force time, Joseph Madden flew a Mosquito XIII which was seen as a rather weak plane defensively, but it was tremendously fast. Most pilots utilized its speed to their advantage to get out of dangerous areas quickly (Cleaver).
In Winnipeg during the time of WWII, there were many events happening. One event in particular that seemed to be the buzz of the town was the Drama Festival that was coming to Winnipeg. This festival seemed to be on the front page of the Manitoban for weeks. It seemed to be like a great deal of time and effort was being put into the event and the event would affect a lot of people ("Drama Festival Opens Wednesday"). But, there were also other events happened that affected a worldly population. Many people, in North America in particular, seemed to be frightened by many countries clearing out their docks in 1944. It seemed that a grand navy assault was to be taken place and all countries were getting their boats ready. Most wanted the war to be over and this clearance of docks was not something pleasant to see (Nichols).
Joseph Madden served roughly two years and seven months before dying in a flying accident. On February 11, 1944, after refueling and returning to patrolling duty, Joseph Madden’s aircraft took a dive into shallow water and Joseph was killed. The cause for this dive was unknown but it is said to be a possible aircraft malfunction. Joseph Madden died at the young age of twenty four ("Province of Manitoba"). Joseph was a respectable man who died too young. He was a terrific pilot and this showed through the medals and awards he was honoured with. Over his piloting career, Joseph received two Canadian Volunteer Service Medals, one General Service Medal, a Defence Medal, an A/C Eur Star, and a 39-35 Star ("Service Award Card"). This honourable pilot is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, about 30 miles from London, England. He is listed on page 376 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance ("In Memory of").
Military Service Record
Grave Reference
Works Cited
29 Apr. 2012. <http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/allies/gb/
cleaverm13.htm>. This link was very informative and not only provided
info, but pictures as well. This link helped me to understand what kind of
plane my soldier was flying. This source gave me a good history on the
plane my soldier was flying and I found this site to make me not have to
look at many other sources.
Manitobia . Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://manitobia.ca/content/en/
newspapers/Manitoban/1944/02/
1944-02-18.pdf#search=%22february%2011,%201944%22>. I was provided with
a valuable news story from this link. I found an important event happening
in Winnipeg from this source and it helped me create my paper. I found this
link to be easy to use and quite helpful.
Apr. 2012. <http://www.manitobamilitaryaviationmuseum.com/PDF/410squadron.pdf>. I was provided with a ton of in-depth information
about my squadron from this source. Not only did I find information about
training, I also found out who were commanding officers, lists of
causalities, and reasoning behind the squadron insignia. I would consider
this to be one of the most important sites to my research and I would
recommend it to others.
10 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/> collections/virtualmem/detail/2667683>. This website provided me with
information about Joseph Madden's date of death, his grave stone, and the
cemetery in which he is buried. This site also provided me with pictures of
Joseph Leo Anthony Madden's grave stone and a picture of page 376 in the
Second World War Book of Remembrance. On this page is Joseph Madden's name.
Evening Tribune 1 Jan. 1944: 6. Manitobia . Web. 29 Apr. 2012.
<http://manitobia.ca/content/en/newspapers/WPT/1944/01/01/articles/81.xml/> iarchives?query=February%2BAND%2B1944%2BAND%2Byear%3A1944>. This article
provided me with news about a key event happening around the time of my
soldier's death. There was a scare about mass navy battles and information
was given about many battles. I found this article helpful and it helps for
my third paragraph.
<http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/> squadronDetail.php?No.-410-Squadron-69>. This link provided me with key
information about my soldier's squadron. I found it to be very helpful and
informative. It provided me with general information about the squadron,
what aircraft was used during certain time periods, and what battles Joseph
Madden’s squadron was involved in. A picture of the squadron's badge was
also found on this site.
pag. Print. A lot of basic knowledge was obtained from this paper,
including who Madden's parents were and his date of death.
general knowledge about Joseph Madden was obtained from this paper.
schools Joseph Madden attended to were obtained from this paper. Also, the
classes Joseph took in St. Paul's were obtained.
Joseph Madden won were obtained from this paper.